Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: The Better to Eat You With by Tehlor Mejia

  • The Better to Eat You With 
  • Author: Tehlor Mejia
  • Narrated by Victoria Villarreal
  • Penguin Random House
  • Publication Date: September 23, 2025
  • ISBN: 9798217157129

Evan’s annual summers at a rented cabin have always been a haven for her, when she gets to see her best friend, Billie, again. But so many things are changing: Evan’s parents are arguing more and more, Billie seems more interested in boys than in spending time with Evan, and Evan can’t shake her mom’s voice from her head, reminding Evan to make healthy, perfect food choices and constantly watch what she eats. And the more she listens to the voice, the more sinister clues she finds of a mysterious creature terrorizing the resort… 

Evan and her complex, competing inner narratives come alive through Victoria Villarreal’s narration. Each character is distinct, including the voices that Evan hears in her mind throughout the summer, from the one that sounds a lot like her mom to the inner knowing of her body’s hunger. The audiobook heightens the suspense that is core to this middle grade horror novel that is light on gore but still darkly allegorical.

The Better to Eat You With is recommended for fans of Happy Town by Greg van Eekhout, Blood in the Water by Tiffany Jackson, and Louder than Hunger by John Chu.

-Lee Cooney (they/them)

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

  • Beth Is Dead
  • Author: Katie Bernet
  • Narrated by Caitlin Kelly, Emily Tremaine, Ferdelle Capistrano, and Piper Goodeve
  • Simon and Schuster Audio
  • Publication Date: January 6, 2026 
  • ISBN: 9781668157596

The March sisters are as famous as their father who wrote a wildly controversial bestseller based on their lives. Feminists excoriate him for taking advantage of his daughters, and stalkers are doing the freaky things stalkers do, so there are plenty of suspects when Beth March winds up dead at the bottom of a ravine. Determined to discover her killer, Jo March begins a dogged search for answers. 

Four heavy hitting narrators bring the story to life with pitch perfect renditions of the March sisters. Past and present events are telegraphed well, and the vocal mannerisms are distinctive, keeping this complexly plotted reimagined classic clear for readers.

This is an ideal suspense/thriller listen for teens who liked That’s Not My Name written by Megan Lally and narrated by Sophie Amoss and Robb Moreira, or 49 Miles Alone written by Natalie D. Richards and narrated by Victoria Rillarreal, Laura Knight Keating, and Suzy Jackson.  For teens who are looking for reimagined classics, suggest Rosa By Any Other Name by Hailey Alcaraz and narrated by Victoria Villarreal or Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu with narration by Sandy Rustin.

-Jodi Kruse

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Ms. Marvel: Remnants of the Past by Saadia Faruqi

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  • Ms. Marvel: Remnants of the Past
  • Author: Saadia Faruqi
  • Narrated by Kausar Mohammed
  • Books On Tape
  • Publication Date: January 6, 2026 
  • ISBN: 9788217297580 

Kamala Khan is a typical Pakistani American teenager living in Jersey City. But she’s also a superhero:  Ms. Marvel. Balancing these two worlds is often her biggest obstacle from attending high school, managing friendships and relationships, and, oh yeah, taking down villains. This time, the villain is Kingpin who has possession of a magical artifact which sends Ms. Marvel to Lahore, Pakistan under the guise of Khan visiting a sick relative. 

Mohammed’s work in voice acting and personal background as a Muslim Pakistani woman naturally flows into capturing Khan’s comedic superhero energy and the Jersey City family and friends as the single narrator with a stamina that holds strong throughout the audiobook. Similarly, the emotional mix of silly and serious scenes are handled adeptly and provide the depth of storytelling Faruqi intended in addressing colonialism and curation through the lens of a teen turned superhero. 

Since Angeline Boulley’s sophomore book, Warrior Girl Unearthed, tackles the subject of repatriating stolen artifacts from marginalized communities, the books align well. Or, listen to others in the Marvel YA novel series universe by Penguin Random House like Lee’s Gamora and Nebula and Reynold’s Miles Morales: Spider-Man for more superhero energy.

-Alicia Abdul

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: The Oks Are Not Ok

  • The Oks Are Not OK
  • Author: Grace K. Shim
  • Narrated by Shannon Tyo
  • Penguin Random House Audio
  • Publication Date: Mar 03, 2026
  • ISBN:9798217280834

When the Ok family’s financial circumstances abruptly change, they’re forced to trade their glamorous LA life for a wi-fi free, small farming town where no one knows they’re the family behind the now bankrupt and disgraced It’s Ok! fashion empire. As 16-year-old Elena adjusts to her new life, she begins to rethink the merit of her past as a party girl and influencer. Soon, she begins to reconsider what success truly means to her and what it looks like to show up as a good sister and friend. 

Weaving humor with heart, The Oks Are Not OK is a feel-good story about reinvention and family. Tyo’s narration is expressive and bright and her characters are distinct and well-crafted. Elena’s charisma and charm are especially clear in the narration. Elena’s shift from self-involved influencer to community advocate is gentle and Tyo’s narration makes it feel authentic. As Elena starts to build friendships and reconnect with her brother and parents, Tyo’s warm yet lively narration really shines. This audiobook will appeal to readers who enjoy a light-hearted character-driven story and an engaging yet relaxed listening experience.

For fans of Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean, You Have A Match by Emma Lord, and the TV comedy, Schitt’s Creek.

– Tina Chesterman

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

  • Red Star Rebels 
  • Author: Amie Kaufman
  • Narrated by Max Meyers, Jessica Almasy, Pete Bradbury, Lisa Flanagan, James Fouhey, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Amy Landon, Samara Naeymi, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Gail Shalan, Full Cast
  • Penguin Random House Audio
  • Publication Date: February 2, 2026
  • ISBN: 9798217172221

It’s 2067 and one rich family has colonized Mars, selling the opportunity to escape an overcrowded Earth to the highest bidders. Hunter Graves, the grandson of the man who settled Mars, arrives at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scrambling, leaving him behind. Cleo has been stowed away on the base, and she’s in the exact same pickle as Hunter. It turns out the evacuation is just a cover for a group of mercenaries who arrive with a plan to blow up the base in eight hours. Hunter and Cleo must work together to save themselves while the timer counts down to an asphyxiating doom.

Amie Kaufman’s young adult sci-fi thriller utilizes a full cast of narrators and impeccable audio production to bring the suspenseful and action-packed novel alive. Told from the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters, Red Star Rebels promises an immersive experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

For readers who enjoy this title, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s 2015 Illuminae Files audiobook provides a similar experience with a full cast of narrators and audio effects aiding the book’s storytelling. Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff and The Disasters by M.K. England run in the same vein as Red Star Rebels if you like high stakes science fiction!

-Eoin Kennedy

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Hekate: The Witch by Nikita Gill

  • Hekate: The Witch 
  • Author: Nikita Gill
  • Narrated by Nikita Gill
  • Hachette Audio
  • Publication Date: September 16, 2025
  • ISBN:9781668651780

This lyrical origin story of the Greek goddess of witchcraft explores themes of war and identity as young Hekate struggles to uncover her godly purpose while hidden away in the Underworld. Fleeing the violence of the newly crowned Olympian gods, Hekate grows up along the banks of the River Styx with few other gods nearby and little knowledge of her own past or future. Faced with many questions about who she is becoming and why she lost her mother after the war, Hekate must decide whether her quiet life with the goddess Styx is worth more than the answers hidden beyond the river’s banks.

Read by the author, Hekate: The Witch comes to life with the lyrical, poetic rhythm of Gill’s telling. She uses traditional Greek pronunciations, which ground the story in this ancient setting. Hekate’s pain, loneliness, frustration, and joy are easily discerned and very moving in the narration. The listener experiences Hekate growing from a young child torn away from her family by a terrible war into a young woman determined to discover her power despite all obstacles through Gill’s masterful prose and changing voice. 

Weaving a mysterious and powerful story, this audiobook takes the myth back to its ancient roots and asks its modern listeners to question why the men in power are always so afraid of women. While not written in verse, Gill’s narration clearly evokes the poetic cadence woven throughout the book, emulating the flow of a Greek epic that is at once timeless and increasingly relevant.
Fans of Natasha Bowen, Ibi Zoboi’s (S)Kin, and Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus will enjoy this dynamic retelling of Greek Underworld mythology.

-Lee Cooney (they/them)

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Last Chance Live! By Helena Haywoode Henry

  • Last Chance Live!
  • Author: Helena Haywoode Henry
  • Narrated by Rocky Anicette & Helena Haywoode Henry
  • Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
  • Publication Date: October 7, 2025
  • ISBN: 9798217080908

Last Chance Live! is the most popular reality show in America—and eighteen-year-old death row inmate Eternity Price’s last chance to live. Getting cast on the show could win her clemency preventing her execution… if she can convince the viewing audience she deserves a second chance. The catch? If America doesn’t vote for her, she loses the chance to appeal her sentence, and she’ll be executed within a week of being eliminated from the show. And since Eternity’s been unpopular her whole life, she’s terrified America won’t pick her. But any chance of getting out of prison and back to her little brother Sincere, no matter how slim, is better than rotting away in her cell.

Eternity never expected to find her first real friends in a reality TV house full of people battling for survival after being convicted of capital crimes, but that’s exactly what happens. So when she gets the opportunity to sabotage them and secure her own victory, she has a choice to make: protect the friendships and acceptance she’s always longed for at the cost of her own life, or sacrifice her newfound community. Eternity must ultimately decide what forgiveness, family, and freedom mean to her, and how far she’ll go to win a game where the stakes are literally life or death.

This is one of those audiobook performances where the narrator doesn’t just read the story, she builds it moment by moment. What stood out most is the way she uses tension in her voice. There’s deliberate pacing throughout: slight pauses, subtle shifts in tone, and a tightening of delivery that mirrors the stakes of the story. You can feel when something is about to go wrong before it even happens. It’s not overdone or dramatic in a distracting way; instead, it’s controlled and intentional, which makes the suspense land even harder.

In high-stakes moments, her voice sharpens just enough to raise your pulse, while quieter scenes carry an undercurrent of unease that keeps you leaning in. That balance is tough to pull off, but she nails it. The emotional beats hit because the tension is always present, just beneath the surface. If you’re an audiobook listener who appreciates narration that actively elevates the story, this one is very well done.

Fans of Black Mirror and Squid Games will be on the edges of their seats with this one!

-Amanda Hunt

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: This Is Where We Die by Cindy R.X. He

  • This is Where We Die
  • by Cindy R. X. He
  • Narrated by Lori Gardner, Suzy Jackson, Nick Mills, Robb Moreira, Nick Walther & Jaine Ye
  • Recorded Books, Inc.
  • Publication Date: September 9, 2025
  • ISBN: 9798899732362

This Is Where We Die delivers exactly what thriller readers crave: a tense, locked-room atmosphere, buried secrets, and the slow, relentless unraveling of a friend group bound together by a tragedy they’ve never fully confronted. Cindy R.X. He builds a story that is fast-paced, sharply constructed, and anchored by the suffocating weight of guilt.

A full cast narration is perfectly calibrated for this type of story. Together they bring clarity and urgency to each character, guiding listeners through shifting alliances, rising fear, and the brittle fragility underneath every interaction. Their performances enhance the creeping paranoia, making the audiobook particularly engrossing.

The setup is irresistible: two years ago, eight friends went on a ski trip — only six returned. The truth was buried by privilege, silence, and a family with enough power to make the questions disappear. Now, those same six survivors reunite on a remote private island for what should have been a celebratory getaway… and instead becomes a nightmare.

Cut off from the world, with no cell service and no way off the island, the group quickly realizes that someone knows what really happened that night — and they intend for none of them to leave alive. As the body count rises, the tension tightens, and the past refuses to stay hidden, every moment feels like a countdown.

Comparable Book Recommendations

And Then There Were None — Agatha Christie

The blueprint for every “isolated location, limited suspects, killer among us” story ever written. A perfect tonal and structural comp for This Is Where We Die.

The Island — Natasha Preston

A group of influencers stuck on a tech-free island theme park begin to die one by one. Similar paranoia, isolation, and “we brought this on ourselves” energy.

Ten — Gretchen McNeil

Inspired by Agatha Christie with a YA twist: ten teens on a remote island, a storm, and a killer picking them off.

They’ll Never Catch Us — Jessica Goodman

Secrets, obsession, and a toxic sisterhood. Not as isolated, but very aligned in mood and group dynamics.

The Cheerleaders — Kara Thomas

Past deaths, survivor guilt, and a truth someone wants buried. Strong match for tone and emotional weight.

One of Us Is Next / The Bayview Series — Karen M. McManus

Twisty, fast-paced, and very much about group dynamics under pressure.

-Amanda Hunt

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

  • Under the Same Stars
  • by Libba Bray
  • Narrated byJeremy Carlisle Parker, January LaVoy, and Major Curda
  • Macmillan Young Listeners
  • Publication Date: February 4, 2025
  • ISBN: 9781250353993

Across three connected timelines–World War II, the Cold War, and COVID-19, teens encounter injustice and betrayal in their lives, and respond with personal acts of defiance. With instances of romance, humor, and suspense, the stories explore honesty, courageous activism, forgiveness, and the sacrifices people are willing to make to strengthen their communities. The teens’ journeys show how even small acts of bravery can build into a lasting legacy of resistance that will not be forgotten.

Libba Bray weaves together historical fiction, mystery, and a touch of magic to keep readers engaged. Three narrators deliver a vivid, heartfelt, and fast-paced story in which love, danger, playful dialogue, and courage collide across eighty years. The teens’ shifting emotions—ranging from fear and frustration to determination and hope—are powerfully portrayed through the audio performances. The punk rock scene of 1980s Germany is especially well-realized in the narration. An audio recording within the story is well-delineated, helping listeners feel as if they truly are in the story, listening to a recording with its signature scratches and noise.

-Lisa Castellano

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: The Leaving Room by Amanda McBride

Amber McBride has this uncanny ability to write stories that feel like stepping into a dream: soft around the edges, heavy with truth, and then she goes and narrates them herself, making the audiobook feel like sitting across from the author while she quietly hands you her heart.

The Leaving Room is a haunting, lyrical exploration of grief, identity, mental health, and the spaces we create to survive the impossible. The poetic structure makes it feel like both a novel and a spell, and McBride’s narration deepens that magic. Her voice is warm, brittle, rhythmic, and absolutely intentional. Every pause matters. Every inhale matters.

Our protagonist, Thea, feels untethered and raw after a devastating loss, and McBride guides us through her inner world with a tenderness that never once feels performative. Instead, it’s honest. Vulnerable. Quietly aching. The blending of verse, folklore, and emotional realism hits that perfect note between grounded and otherworldly.

As an audiobook? Chef’s kiss. The format elevates the verse, making the cadence hit exactly the way McBride intended. It’s one of those listens where you stop what you’re doing because a line just took the wind out of you.

Comparable Book Recommendations

 Me (Moth) — Amber McBride

  • Verse, identity, ancestral connection, grief. The audiobook is extraordinary and pairs perfectly with The Leaving Room.
  • Check out the Hub Featured Review Me (Moth) here!

Moonrise — Sarah Crossan

  • Told in verse. Quiet devastation. Sibling grief. You’ll ugly-cry and then sit in the parking lot staring into the void.

Clap When You Land — Elizabeth Acevedo

  • Dual POV poetry exploring loss, identity, and family secrets. Acevedo narrates herself—so you get that same intimate, author-as-performer magic.

-Amanda Hunt